Air vent valve attachment



Dec. 13, 1 8.-

H. W. TETER A'IR VENT VALVE ATTACHMENT Filed Nov. 5, 1936' Patented Dec. 13, 1938 UNETED STATES OFFICE 4 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in air vent valve attachments. It relates to an attachment for an air vent valve of a steam heating system, which when applied to the air vent permits of the escape of air and prevents outside air entering when a partial vacuum is established in the system.

One of the objects of my invention is the provision of an attachment of the kind described which has novel means for preventing the entrance through the air vent valve into the heating system, which means is simple, cheap to make, durable, strong, not likely to get out of order, which is easily and quickly applied, and which is efficient in its operation.

The novel features of my invention are hereinafter fully described and claimed. I

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates my invention,

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of one form of my invention, shown applied to an air vent valve, partly broken away, of usual structure, and in which the movable side of the chamber is normally spaced, at its passage closing portion, from the opposite side of the chamber, said movable side being shown in its normal position, a check valve being disposed in the outer passage.

Fig. 2 is a View similar to Fig. 1, and partly broken away, of a form of my invention similar to that shown in Fig. 1, but in which the movable side of the chamber normally contacts with the opposite side, said movable side being shown in its normal position.

Fig. 3 is a top view, partly broken away, of the forms shown in'Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is a side view, partly in vertical section and partly in side elevation of another form of my invention in which the check valve in the outer passage is eliminated, and in which the movable side of the chamber is normally seated against the opposite side thereof, the movable side being shown in its normal position.

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view, partly broken away, of the form shown in Fig. 4, showing the movable side of the chamber moved to the open position by internal pressure.

Fig. 6 is a plan view, partly broken away of the form shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

Similar characters of reference designate similar parts in the different views.

In each form of my invention there is provided a body 1, preferably of soft rubber having an open end portion 2 adapted to be tightly fitted onto an air vent valve body 3, of usual form, which is mounted on a part of a steam heating side I of the chamber 5 is, preferably, 0f soft rubber and integral with the body I, and is pro- 10 vided at its center with a passage 8, the inner end of which communicates with the chamher 5 and the outer end of which communicates with the outer air. The passage 8 is provided with a valve seat in which is normally seated an 15 outwardly opening ball check valve 9, which is held in the passage by a perforated plate l0, mounted in the passage above the valve 9.

In the form shown in Fig. 1, and in the form shown in Fig. 2, the middle portion of the upper side i of the chamber 5 is provided with an annular portion ll encircling the inner end of the passage 8, which in the form shown in Fig. 1 is normally spaced from the lower side of the chamber 5, while in the form shown in Fig. 2, 25 this annular portion is normally in contact with the lower side of the chamber 5 and closes the passage 8 at its inner end.

In the form shown in Fig. 1, when the internal pressure in the chamber 5 exceeds to a predetermined amount the outer atmospheric pressure, the ball valve 9 will be raised and opened, thus permitting the air to escape to the atmosphere. When the external pressure exceeds the internal pressure, the ball valve 9 will close the passage 35 8, and the atmospheric pressure will force the movable side l of the chamber 5 downwardly to a position in which the annular portion II will contact with the lower side of the chamber 5 and close the passage 8 at its lower end, thus forming a double seal, the passages 6 and 8 being out of register with each other, as shown. The position of the upper side I will then be as shown in Fig. 2. Should the internal pressure rise sufiiciently the portion 1 will rise, and the ball valve 9 will lift from its seat, and the air will escape through the passage 8. When the air pressure at the inner and outer sides are balanced, the valve 9 will again close. 50

In the form shown in Fig. 2, when the internal pressure rises suificiently, the upper side I will rise, as will the ball valve 9 and the air will escape to the atmosphere. When the internal pressure falls below atmospheric, the side 1 will 55 resume the closed position, shown'in Fig. 2, and the valve 9 will close.

In the form shown in Fig. 4, the movable upper portion of the chamber 5, designated by l, is provided centrally with a passage 8 corresponding to the passage 8 and having its lower end encircled by an annular portion II, which, as in Fig. 2 is normally contacting with the lower side of the chamber 5 and closing the inner end of the passage 8.

When the inner pressure reaches a predetermined point, the portion 1' will rise to the position shown in Fig. 5 and the passage 8 Willi be opened, thus permitting the escape of air from the chamber 5. When the outer air pressure exceeds the inner pressure, the portion'l' will lower to the position shown in Fig. 4, thus again closing the passage 8'.

Other modifications of my invention, within the scope of the appended claims, may be made without departing-from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. An automatic vent valve attachment for radiator vent valves, comprising an integral, elastic hollow valve body having one end open for closely fitting over a radiator vent valve and a substantially rigid, closed other end provided on its side opposite the openend with a relatively fiexible diaphragm integrally attached at its periphery with the peripheral portion of said closed end to form a chamber therewith, a passage through said closed end communicating with said chamber and said open end, a port through said diaphragm ofiset with respect to said passage and communicating with said chamber and the atmosphere, an annular ridge about said port projecting into said chamber, said diaphragm being adapted to fiex to and from a position to engage said annular ridge with said substantially rigid end to control said port.

2. An automatic vent valve attachment for radiator vent valves, comprising an integral, elastic hollow valve body having one end open for closely fitting over a radiator vent valve and a substantially rigid, closed other end provided on its side opposite the open end with a relatively flexible diaphragm integrally attached at its periphery with said closed end to form a chamber therewith, a passage through said closed end communicating with said chamber and said open end, a port through said diaphragm ofiset with respect to said passage and communicating with said chamber and the atmosphere, said diaphragm being adapted to flex to and from a position in which an annular portion of it encircling said port on the side next to said chamber will engage with said substantially rigid end to control said port.

3. An automatic vent valve attachment for radiator vent valves, comprising an integral, elastic hollow valve body having one end open for closely fitting over a radiator vent valve and a substantially rigid, closed other end provided on its side opposite the open end with a relatively flexible diaphragm integrally attached at its periphery with said closed end to form a chamber therewith, a passage through said closed end communicating with said chamber and said open end, a port through said diaphragm offset with respect to said passage and communicating with said chamber and the atmosphere, said diaphragm being adapted to flex to and from a position in which an annular portion of it next to said chamber will engage with said substantially rigid end to control said port, said annular portion normally contacting with said substantially rigid end to close said port.

4. An automatic vent valve attachment for radiator vent valves, comprising an integral, elastic hollow valve body, having one end open for closely fitting over, a radiator vent valve and a substantially rigid, closed other end provided on its side opposite the open end with a relatively flexible diaphragm integrally attached at its periphery with said closed end to form a chamber therewith, a passage through said closed end communicating with said chamber and said open end, a port through said diaphragm offset with respect to said passage and communicating with said chamber and the atmosphere, said diaphragm being adapted to flex to and from a position in which an annular portion of it next to said chamber will engage with said substantially rigid end to control said port, said annular portion normally being spaced from said substantially rigid end, and an outwardly opening check valve normally closing said port.

HOWARD W. TETER. 

